Momentum carries Jags, Middle Tennessee into Thursday showdown

MOBILE, Alabama - The top two teams in the Sun Belt Conference's East Division, arguably the top two teams in the league overall, meet Thursday when South Alabama travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to face Middle Tennessee.

South Alabama interim head coach Jeff Price congratulates his team during the first half of a college basketball game against Louisiana-Monroe Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, at the Mitchell Center in Mobile, Ala. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

It's an important game for both teams in terms of late-season momentum heading into the Sun Belt Conference tournament that begins March 8 in Hot Springs, Ark.

And momentum is building for both teams. South Alabama is on a season-best four-game win streak and has had a week to prepare for the Blue Raiders, who have won 12 straight games and have lost only once in league play and are undefeated at home (14-0) this season.

MTSU won the first meeting this season in Mobile, collecting a close 60-56 victory on Jan. 5 at the Mitchell Center. USA has improved since that game, as have the Blue Raiders who recently beat Troy by 52 points.

"It's obviously a big game,'' South Alabama interim head coach Jeff Price said. "You'd like to down-play it and say it's like any other and at the end of the day I guess it is because it counts as one conference game. But it's certainly something our guys are looking forward to - the opportunity to go there and play against a really good team. I think it comes at a good time when we've been able to get a little bit of rest and have some good prep time as well.

"We're playing well and we're finding ways to win games and more importantly, I thought we put together a total effort against Lafayette the other night. It was good to see us maintain a lead throughout the game and even build on it, which we had not been consistently doing. So it was good to have a win like to hopefully give us some confidence.''

The Jaguars, 15-9 overall and 12-4 in Sun Belt games, topped Louisiana-Lafayette 88-64 for its biggest margin of victory on the season. The Jags played solid defense and also got their offensive attack on track both from the inside and on the perimeter. Against Middle Tennessee, which won its most recent game 66-61 against Arkansas-Little Rock, USA will need to continue that offensive and defensive success.

The Blue Raiders, Price said, are a tough team no matter where the game is played, but they are especially tough on their home floor.

"I think it makes us a more confident team,'' Price said when asked if the Lafayette win and the Jags' success on the road this season plays a factor in Thursday's game. "I believe we're 5-2 on the road in the league and I think that speaks well for our guys and their focus and their mental toughness. Those are two things that you must have when you play at Middle - you've got to be extremely focused and you have to be very mentally tough. That's a challenge that our team has taken on very well and hopefully it will carry over.''

Middle Tennessee, 23-4 overall and 15-1 in the league, leads the overall series with a 16-14 record and has won the past four meetings between the two teams. Although the Blue Raiders have only one player averaging 10 points or more per game, they lead the league in scoring offense (70.6 points per game). They also lead the Sun Belt in several other categories - scoring defense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, field goal percentage defense, 3-point field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage defense, rebounding defense, rebounding margin, assists, defensive rebounding percentage and offensive rebounding percentage. South Alabama leads the league in rebounding offense and offensive rebounds.

"Obviously, we have to play a really solid, overall game, but they're so good defensively we have to find ways to be creative on the offensive end,'' Price said. "Mainly, we just have to do what we've been doing and that's guard them well and get to the free throw line and rebound the ball well. Those are the three main constants that we talk about every week that we have to continue to do and I don't think this game is any different. We're going to have to do those things to have a chance. I think their transition game is underrated and we're going to have to really get out and go and get back on defense.''